The Istanbul governor’s office has reported that the number of alcohol poisoning cases in the city has reached 66 since Jan. 13, with 30 individuals losing their lives. Among those affected, 31 are still receiving treatment in intensive care, while four individuals have been discharged after completing their treatment.
In a statement released on Jan. 15 on social media, the Istanbul Governorship highlighted a significant rise in alcohol poisoning cases linked to the consumption of counterfeit alcohol.
The statement reads: “Over the past 48 hours, a total of 66 alcohol poisoning cases have been reported. Of those affected, 23 have died, and 32 patients who were intubated remain under intensive care. Three patients have been discharged after successful treatment, while eight others continue to receive care in regular wards.”
The statement further noted that since Jan. 1, 34 people have died due to counterfeit alcohol use in Istanbul.
The statement continued: “Those who produce or sell counterfeit alcohol, causing the deaths of dozens of our citizens, are no different from terrorists who kill people. Our fight against these vile individuals, who endanger the lives of our people for financial gain, will continue relentlessly, just as it has in the past. The police as well as municipal and agricultural department inspection teams are carrying out their inspections without interruption. In this context, our police units have conducted operations in many locations across Istanbul and have detained six individuals who were found to have distributed large quantities of counterfeit alcohol. Two of these individuals were arrested and sent to prison on charges of ‘intentional manslaughter,’ while four others are still under police investigation.”
The statement also mentioned that 29 tons of counterfeit alcohol had been seized in operations conducted since Jan. 1, and the licenses of 64 businesses found to be selling counterfeit or illegal alcohol have been revoked, with legal proceedings against business owners ongoing.
The statement concluded: “In last year’s operations, a total of 302 tons of counterfeit alcohol was seized. It is of vital importance that our citizens remain highly cautious about counterfeit or illegal alcohol and report suspicious situations to 112 without delay.”